Pricing

Brand	Equipment	Monthly	Contract	Install	Score
Vivint	$599–$1,500+	$30–$60/mo	None (finance/pay upfront)	Professional	9.4/10
SimpliSafe	$230–$500	$9.99–$19.99/mo	No contract	DIY (15–30 min)	9.2/10
Ring Alarm	$200–$450	$10–$20/mo	No contract	DIY (20–45 min)	8.7/10
ADT	$400–$900+	$28–$60/mo	2–3 year	Professional	8.1/10
Eufy Security	$150–$400	Free–$9.99/mo	No contract	DIY (20–40 min)	8.2/10
Abode	$180–$400	Free–$8/mo	No contract	DIY (30–60 min)	8.1/10
Cove Security	$15–$250	$15–$25/mo	No contract	DIY	8/10
Wyze Home	$20–$100	$0–$9.99/mo	No contract	DIY (minimal)	7.5/10
Arlo	$100–$500	$0–$12.99/mo	No contract	DIY	7.8/10

How to compare total cost

Equipment is a one-time cost; monitoring is ongoing. A $200 kit + $20/month = $920 over 3 years. A $500 kit + $10/month = $860 over the same period. The higher-upfront system can cost less overall.

• Professional install — ADT and Vivint include it in equipment cost
• Contracts — ADT requires 2–3 years; all DIY systems are month-to-month
• Monitoring quality — CSAA Five Diamond certified monitoring costs more to operate